Author Topic: Topic Split: Media Coverage of Sensationalistic Events  (Read 9782 times)

Offline opinionista

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Topic Split: Media Coverage of Sensationalistic Events
« on: September 20, 2006, 03:33:51 pm »
This is the original post that led to the discusison:

Geez... I say take a chance in life. Don't be freaking out about everything. Spinach is better cooked anyways. When it comes to germs, this nation  is full of clean freaks. If they were consistent they'd be checking out restaurants like Ihop more closely... why anyone would want to eat there is beyond me.

Well, Giancarlo here got a point. I know this e-coli outbreak is probably a serious one, but come on it is not like you can't survive without Spinach. My meaning is that sometimes this kind of warning are over sensationalized by the press. Ok, eating spinach is truly dangerous now, and I bet most kids are probably jumping with joy. However, from what I have seen the FDA is simply making a warning to avoid more cases. This is not a life or death situation, as the press is making it look like. So far there have been 114 victims distributed in 21 states and only one has died, according to CDC. This hardly makes it a major a health disaster. More people die in car accidents each day. CNN is now talking about the spinach e-coli mystery when it's well known that e-coli outbreaks are associated with improper handling at the plant, in transport or at the retailer. It's also associated with the use of certain fertilizers. This sort of reminds me of The Chicken Little tale. "The sky is falling!, the sky is falling!"


Natali, I guess you and I just read that story very differently.


We certainly are. I just realized that I no longer think like a journalist! I'm not sure if this is good news. My dissertation is about this, well about disasters. Oh well, I hope i get it back to "normal" when I fiinish.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2006, 05:45:04 am by opinionista »
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. -Mark Twain.

Offline serious crayons

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Topic Split: Media Coverage of Sensationalistic Events
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2006, 03:46:04 pm »
We certainly are. I just realized that I no longer think like a journalist! I'm not sure if this is good news. My dissertation is about this, well about disasters. Oh well, I hope i get it back to "normal" when I fiinish.

I'm sure you'll be fine. (And thinking like a journalist isn't always a good thing!  ;))

What is your dissertation about? Is it about the psychology of response to disasters, or about press coverage of disasters, or what? It sounds interesting.

On a plane a couple of years ago I sat next to a Greek psychologist whose area of expertise was the psychology of risk assessment -- the flawed ways that humans measure relative risks. I'd read a little bit about it before that, and I find it a really fascinating topic.

Offline nakymaton

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Topic Split: Media Coverage of Sensationalistic Events
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2006, 03:46:26 pm »
Speaking of media panic:

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/52708: "Majority of Americans unprepared for Apocalypse"

;D ;D

(Yes, I know it's the Onion. ;D )
Watch out. That poster has a low startle point.

Offline opinionista

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Topic Split: Media Coverage of Sensationalistic Events
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2006, 04:23:17 pm »
I'm sure you'll be fine. (And thinking like a journalist isn't always a good thing!  ;))

What is your dissertation about? Is it about the psychology of response to disasters, or about press coverage of disasters, or what? It sounds interesting.

On a plane a couple of years ago I sat next to a Greek psychologist whose area of expertise was the psychology of risk assessment -- the flawed ways that humans measure relative risks. I'd read a little bit about it before that, and I find it a really fascinating topic.

It's about press coverage of disasters. I'm dealing with one disaster in particular: The Prestige Oil Spill disaster, that caused a huge damage on the Spanish Northern West Coast. But my dissertation is not directly related to the risk itself, but more on the politics, but I have to include some information about the perception of risks in the press in theory section. I also have to understand the teories about it. It's complex but also interesting.

What that pyschologist told you about how people measure risk is a whole discipline associated with Social Psychologist. It is called The Social Perception of Risks. There's an important author Paul Slovic who has written interesting books and articles about this, which includes the role of the press in the shaping of social perception of risk.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2006, 04:39:11 pm by opinionista »
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. -Mark Twain.

Offline serious crayons

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Topic Split: Media Coverage of Sensationalistic Events
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2006, 04:37:14 pm »
What that pyschologist told you about people measure risk is a whole discipline associated with Social Psychologist.

One example of people overestimating risks that I think is particularly troubling is child safety. Exaggerated fears of risks to children has led to drastic changes in parenting habits and in the experience of childhood itself. This is one area where I definitely hold the media responsible.

Some of those changes are for the good, I'm sure, and nobody wants to put children in danger. But modern children are safer from accident or disease than at any time in human history, yet parents are probably more paranoid than ever.

« Last Edit: September 20, 2006, 04:59:35 pm by latjoreme »

Giancarlo

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Topic Split: Media Coverage of Sensationalistic Events
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2006, 03:25:18 am »

I don't understand your point, Giancarlo. The media constantly does stories about food poisoning and how to avoid it: how to cook hamburgers thoroughly, how to keep your kitchen counters sanitary, how to keep your food safe at picnics and so on.

What job are we supposed to let the FDA do? If it's recalling bags of spinach, why shouldn't the media report that? How are the reports interfering with that?


I don't think I understand your point, or your attempting to argue with me. You have to remove yourself from the pool of media sensationalism you have bought into, and look at things objectively. I am looking at things objectively. I don't need the media using their stupid little scare tactics to try to tell me what I should or shouldn't do. In fact most of those things are common sense, and are emphasized by companies who make products to clean kitchens. Additionally, on packets of beef and so on, there are labels telling that the product needs to be fully cooked. I don't need the damn media tell me what to do. I am not stupid, and I don't believe most people are.

The media is sensationalist and people like you encourage that. The media should do a small segment on it advising people that the government has issued a warning, and go to more important things. I think this is dangerous and disgusting. I think the media is doing this to get people scared, and they are in it for the money. And no offense, the media is screwing over farmers and hurting small businesses. Now that's disgusting and quite vile.

The paranoia in this thread and American society (and media) sickens me. Take a chance in life. I took a chance visiting North Africa a few years back... life is not without chance or possible injury. The media has the tendency of telling us we should live in bubble worlds...
« Last Edit: September 21, 2006, 03:30:57 am by Giancarlo »

Offline opinionista

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Topic Split: Media Coverage of Sensationalistic Events
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2006, 05:09:34 am »
One example of people overestimating risks that I think is particularly troubling is child safety. Exaggerated fears of risks to children has led to drastic changes in parenting habits and in the experience of childhood itself. This is one area where I definitely hold the media responsible.

Some of those changes are for the good, I'm sure, and nobody wants to put children in danger. But modern children are safer from accident or disease than at any time in human history, yet parents are probably more paranoid than ever.



Yeah I agree with you. Child safety is something some people are going overboard with, and the press is partly to blame. All those stories about child abduction, for example, is scaring off some parents and as a result some children can't even go to the park.

I'm not sure if this is relevant but your comment reminded me of a cousin whose daughter suffers from alopecia. The girl is 7 years old and is completely bald. To make matters worse, she's on a steroid based medicine treatment, and as a result she has gained weight considerably. My cousin told me that her mother (my aunt), was pressuring her into quiting her job so she would stay home to educate the girl instead of sending her to a regular public school. My aunt feared she was going to be subjected to bullying, was going to suffer and be emotionally scarred for the rest of her life.

But my cousin refused because she thought her daughter needed to learn how to defend herself. She didn't think hiding out in home was the answer. So, she told her daughter to stand up in front of her class and give a presentation to her classmates explaining what was wrong with her so the other kids wouldn't be afraid around her for her funny looks. She did it and it worked. The girl does get bullied sometimes, but she knows how to defend herself, and has a lot of friends who support her. And I think that is a positive way to teach a child, because life is hard and they need to learn how to face it IMO.
« Last Edit: September 21, 2006, 07:06:47 am by opinionista »
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. -Mark Twain.

Offline serious crayons

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Topic Split: Media Coverage of Sensationalistic Events
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2006, 10:02:42 pm »
I don't think I understand your point, or your attempting to argue with me. You have to remove yourself from the pool of media sensationalism you have bought into, and look at things objectively. I am looking at things objectively. I don't need the media using their stupid little scare tactics to try to tell me what I should or shouldn't do. In fact most of those things are common sense, and are emphasized by companies who make products to clean kitchens. Additionally, on packets of beef and so on, there are labels telling that the product needs to be fully cooked. I don't need the damn media tell me what to do. I am not stupid, and I don't believe most people are.

The media is sensationalist and people like you encourage that. The media should do a small segment on it advising people that the government has issued a warning, and go to more important things. I think this is dangerous and disgusting. I think the media is doing this to get people scared, and they are in it for the money. And no offense, the media is screwing over farmers and hurting small businesses. Now that's disgusting and quite vile.

The paranoia in this thread and American society (and media) sickens me. Take a chance in life. I took a chance visiting North Africa a few years back... life is not without chance or possible injury. The media has the tendency of telling us we should live in bubble worlds...

OK, Giancarlo! Sounds like you have strong opinions about this, and you're already pretty comfortable with your views. To be honest, I'm not not quite interested enough in this topic to keep debating these points with you, especially when the conversation reaches this level of intensity. So to each his/her own. Have a great weekend!

Giancarlo

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Topic Split: Media Coverage of Sensationalistic Events
« Reply #8 on: September 23, 2006, 12:17:07 am »
OK, Giancarlo! Sounds like you have strong opinions about this, and you're already pretty comfortable with your views. To be honest, I'm not not quite interested enough in this topic to keep debating these points with you, especially when the conversation reaches this level of intensity. So to each his/her own. Have a great weekend!


My increasing dislike for the media mainly comes with my major in political science and the fact that I have to listen to what these people say often. I'm not backing down from the fact the media is overly sensational and exaggerate numerous things.

I may have come off strongly, perhaps too strongly. Sorry for that.

injest

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Topic Split: Media Coverage of Sensationalistic Events
« Reply #9 on: September 23, 2006, 12:32:50 am »
My dislike for the media is coming from corresponding with people in other countries and finding out how much we are lied to ...